Stave-jointing machine.



No. 689,026. Patented Dec. I7, mm.

J. P. BUST.

STAVE J0|NTING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

A wikfiwoeo I 154/%% UNITED STATES PATENT Unmet.

JOHN P. RUST, OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

STAVE-"JOlNTlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,026, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed May 10, 1901.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. RUsT, residing at Keene, in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stave-Jointing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines for simultaneously jointing and tapering staves in quantities.

The object of the invention is to produce a self-feeding machine in which the jointingsaws after entering the wood may be all the time operating on a plurality of stave-blanks, so that the saws run with substantially uniform speed, due to the uniformity of resistance, and in which the staves support each other while under the operation of the saws.

Figure l is a side elevation of so much of the operating part of the machine as is needed to illustrate the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the feed-bed, showing saws and arbors in elevation. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the feed-bed and carrier on larger scale.

It is common in machines for jointing stavesto have two saws near each other arranged on inclined arbors and to have an endless feed-chain passing between the saws at substantially a right angle to their arbors on which chain-staves are fed to the saws one by one and there jointed.

Let A A represent such saws and the same should be adjustable with relation to each other both as to their distance apart and their angle of inclination with reference to each other and to the bed or frame B, on which the arbors O are adj ustably held. Such constructions are well known in this art. The whole will be supported in usual manner on frame D. The saws are of any usual form for this purpose.

An endless feed chain or belt E runs over two pulleys F F, the pulleys and saw-arbors being driven by suitable power. The feeder, be it chain or belt, is fed in such manner as to push the stave-blanks between the saws.

The machine has a feed box or hopper G, into which a stack of blanks H may be piled. The box or hopper is either removable and replaceable or otherwise adj ust-able in length,

$erial1lo- 59,599. (No model.)

so as to contain blanks of different sizes, as is common.

Feed chain or belt E has feed-lugs K arranged at a distance from each other less than the length of the stave-blanks with which the machine operates. As the endless chain moves in the direction indicated by arrows each of the lugs K encounters a blank H and pulls it from under the bottom of the stack of blanks and carries the blank between the saws.

I-Ieretofore a somewhat similar machine has been used; but the feed-chain was arranged to carry only one thickness or layer of staves between the same at one time.

In the present machine the stave blank or slat 1 is taken from the bottom of the feedbox by a lug on the chain; but before the blank has entirely passed from the feed-box a second lug encounters the rear end of stave No. 2, pushing said stave forward. The front end of stave No. 2 overlaps and is supported by stave No. 1, and so rests 011 said stave 1 in inclined position. Stave 3 falls on stave 2 in similar manner and, as shown, may overlap stave l in part, as well as stave 2. Thus the rear end of one stave supports the front of another, the blanks overlying each other as do the shingles of a roof, but with the front or leading end of the stave-blank representing the lower end of a roof-shingle.

As the stave-blanks are pressed forward by lugs on the feed-belt nearer together than the stave lengths the staves must always overlap each other. The saws A A, arranged as shown, cut downward toward the feed-bed. The front end of each stave-blank being supported in elevated position will pass between the saws on a plane where the saws are wider apart than at the plane of the rear end. Thus the edges of the blank are trimmed from the blank by the saws on planes which give not only the taper but the joint of the staves, (for pails, firkins, and the like.)

The saws do not in this machine run out of one stave-blank before entering another,

mental to the work, causing rough and uneven cutting. My blanks being always in position for the operation of the saws afford substantially uniform resistance,and the saws cut smoothly. The capacity of a given machine is of course largely increased by keeping a number of blanks or staves between the saws all the time, the feed movement remaining the same.

The blanks H are a little wider than the wide end of the completed stave. The saws A A are adjusted to give the staves the required taper and are placed as far apart as the blanks warrant. The lugs K are adjustably held on the chain or belt and are adjusted to such position on the belt or chain E as will bring the stave-blanks to their proper inclination by overlapping two, three, or more blankson top of each other before the feed belt or chain travels the length of one blank.

The feed-bed B is grooved, as at B, on its upper face to receive the belt or chain E and the edges of the lugs or pushers K. The lugs K have tongues which lie in the groove B in the feed-bed. Thus the upper faces of lugs K are about in a plane with the top of the feed-bed, the pushers K projecting up a little less than the thickness of the staveblank, so as to catch and feed forward the stave-blanks.

In practice itis generally preferable to have several belts with lugs arranged at proper distances for standard work and exchange the belts rather than to move the lugs on the belts.

Side guides L (dotted lines, Fig. 2) may be provided, such being common in machines of this general character.

To hold the blanks firmly down on the feed chain and bed, I arrange a series-of rolls 0 O in a frame P, which frame lies above the feed-bed. The rolls may be pressed down by springs, as is common, or mayoperate by their weight alone to hold the blanks down to the feed-bed, the roll-shafts having play in the frame, so as to lift when the ends of the blanks pass under them. The rolls are arranged at such distance apart that the projecting ends of the blanks are always under the rolls when close to the saws.

The saws and feed-chain are driven by suitable means, as usual, the saws being adjusted for the character of the work, as are the lugs K. A wedge or other support is placed .-unde r the first blank, and from that time when the machine is driven the blanks will support each other, as shown and described, and will be out or trimmed into tapered and jointed staves as long as there are blanks to be fed from the feed-box. Usual devices are employed to prevent the feed of more than one blank at a time. 1

The feed-box is preferably arranged at a slight inclination, so that the blanks lie in the box and pass forward when caught by the feed-lugs at about the inclination they will maintain while passing between the saws.

After passing the saws the staves readily fall from the feeder when the feed-belt passes over the front pulley F. The waste is caught in receptacles, as usual.

What I claim is- 1. In a stave-jointing machine, the combi nation with trimmingsaws placed at an angle to each other, of a feeder passing between the same, and pushers on the feeder at a distance apart less than the length of the staveblanks, whereby a plurality of blanks in over lapping position are fed to the saws.

2. In a stave-jointing machine, the combination with the trimming-saws, inclined with relation to each other, of an endless beltfeeder having lugs thereon at distances apart less than the stave lengths, and means for holding staveblanks in overlapped position on said feeder while passing between the saws.

3. In a stave-jointing machine, the combination of a pair of saws arranged at an angle to each other, an endless feed-belt having pushers arranged at distances from each other less than the stave lengths, and a feed-box ,above the feeder, whereby blanks will be fed in overlapped position, as set forth.

4. In a stave-jointing machine, the combination of saws arranged as described, the endless feeder having lugs thereon at. distances apart less than the stave lengths, so that blanks overlap, and a series of presserrolls arranged above the feeder, supported on movable journals, so as to ride over the superposed staves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN P. RUST.

WVitnesses:

JOSEPH MADDEN,

IIIRAM BLAKE. 

